It is a known fact that the wheels of vehicles circulating on roads require frequent balancing, consisting in the application, onto the wheel rim, of small weights, made of lead or other material, able to offset the irregular distribution of weights on the tire.
To carry out this operation, wheel balancers are commonly used featuring a rotating shaft, a so-called “balancing shaft”, onto which must be integrally positioned the wheel to be balanced, means for centering and fastening the wheel on the balancing shaft and electronic means able to read the wheel imbalance when this is turned by the balancing shaft.
The balancing shaft is arranged horizontally at a preset distance from the ground and the wheel is usually fitted on it manually by the machine operator by lifting the wheel by hand and positioning it coaxially on the balancing shaft. These manual operations are often awkward and tiring for the operator, especially when the wheel to be balanced is heavy and cumbersome.
To make the operator's job easier, the use is known of special lifting devices consisting of a moving platform both along a vertical direction and along a direction parallel with the balancing shaft.
The wheel to be balanced is rolled on top of the platform positioned close to the ground and then held tight by the operator who, with one or both hands, keeps it vertically balanced on the tread; in this position, the wheel is raised to the height of the balancing shaft and then fitted coaxially to it by means of first of all the vertical and then horizontal translation of the platform itself.
Once fitted, the wheel can be secured on the balancing shaft by means of the special centering and fastening means.
These lifting devices of traditional type are susceptible to further upgrading targeted on better operation and efficiency.
Unfortunately in fact, during platform movement, keeping the wheel in vertical position keeps at least one of the operator's hands engaged and he/she is therefore forced to perform platform movement operations in conditions that are not always easy and practical.